Adjustable price tags



Dec. 26, 1961 JNVENTOR. SAM UEL SINGER AT ORNEY'S' 3,014,294 ADJUSTABLEPRICE TAGS amuel Singer, 2133 Judah St., San Francisco, Calif. FiledFeb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,621 8 Claims. (c1. 40-5 The present inventionrelates to improvements in adjustable price tags, and more particularlyto adjustable price tags designed for use upon the edge of a displayshelf.

The present structure is an improvement in price tags of the generalcharacter disclosed in my copending Application, Serial Number 784,932,filed January 5, 1959, now abandoned and entitled: Price Tags.

Price tags of this type envision the use of a continuous strip offlexible tape upon which is imprinted a series of characters, such asthe numerals to 9. The tape is contained in a compact housing which hasa window -or windows through which one character is visible at a time oneach of the tapes used.

Adjustment of the price indicated is effected by sliding the tape in thehousing, as by the tip of the finger, to reveal a different character.

The subject-matter of the copending application is principally concernedwith the use of a pre-curled tape which winds itself up in a housingadapted to be clipped into the flanged retainer strip usually providedon a shelf edge.

The present invention contemplates an improved construction of thehousing which incorporates means for releasably locking the housing'inplace upon the retaining strip While at the same time locking the tapeagainst movement so that changes in the location of the tag or theprices indicated thereby cannot be made accidentally or by the casualshopper.

These price tags are used in great numbers in the average large store.For example, the usual city super market will use from five thousand toseven thousand or more price tags upon its display shelves.Consequently, even small savings in the cost of the individual tag willmount up to very considerable figures.

The present tag incorporates a novel means for locking the price tag toa standard retaining strip, the locking means being simple to use andinexpensive to manufacture.

It is therefore, a principal object of the present invention to providean adjustable price tag which may be used with standard mounting stripsprovided on the edges of display shelves, these strips usually beingcoextensive with the edge of the shelf and having confronting flanges.along the opposite sides of the strip.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting meansof the character described which is but which provides a locking actionsufliciently strong and positive in nature to securely hold the pricetag in place.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a deviceof the character described which will automatically lock the tapeagainst movement while locking the price tag unit in piace on theretaining strip.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thespecification proceeds, and the new and 3,614,294 Patented Dec. 26, 1951useful features of the invention will be fully defined in the claimshereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, forming part of this application, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an adjustable price tagconstructed in accordance with the present invention and mounted upon asection of retaining strip;

FIGURE 2, a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3, a view taken similarly to that of FIGURE 2, but illustratingthe price tag in condition for release from the retaining strip; and

FIGURE 4, a plan sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 ofFIGURE 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish tohave it understood that various changes or modifications may be madewithin the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my adjustable price tag includes ahousing 11 formed with an apertured front face 12 and side and end wallsHand 14, respectively, extending rearwardly therefrom.

Mounted in the housing 11 are one or more tapes 16 having a plurality ofinformation-indicating characters 17 thereon, the tapes being mountedwithin the housing with a portion of the tape visible through theaperture in the front face 12. Also mounted in the housing 11, behindthe tape 16, is a backing plate 18.

Mounting means 19 is provided on the housing 11, the mounting meansbeing provided with outwardly extending flanges 21 and 22 at theopposite sides of the rear of the housing for interlocking engagementwith the confronting flanges 23 and 24 of a standard retaining strip 26.

The retaining strip 26 is normally attached to the edge of display shelf27 in the manner best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing, theattachment being eifected by suitable screws 28, or the like. a

In accordance with the present invention, and as an important featurethereof, the flanges 21 and 22 on the mounting means may be movedbetween a first position spanning less than the distance between theflanges 23 and 24, see FIGURE 3, and a second position extendingoutwardly in position to engage under such flanges, see FIGURE 2. l

The mounting means 19 includes a mounting member 29. As may best be seenin FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing, the member 29has a central portion ofchannel-shape providing up-standing sections which are bent outwardlyalong a portion of their length to provide inolined sections 31 and '32,these sections then being bent over to provide the flanges 21 and 22.

For convenience, the sections 3132 and 21-42 may be designated as wingportions.

As an important feature of the invention, the wing portions are formedto provide an increment of motion of the flanges 2.1 and 22 toward thehousing 11 as they move outwardly from the release position to the lockposition shown in FIGURE 2. This combined motion outwardly and towardthe housing is provided by the configuration of the mounting member 29.

As may be seen from a comparison of FIGURES 2 and 3, outwarddisplacement of the flanges 21 and 22 will cause them to swing closer tothe rear end of the housing. The mounting member 29 is proportioned sothat the flanges 21 and 22 will not only engage under the flanges 23 and24, but will clamp the latter flanges tightly against the housing. Thissecurely and positively locks theprice tags in place against bothremoval and sliding of the price tag on the mounting strip.

The described movement of the mounting member 29 is here effected by ascrew means 33 which is manually operable from the front of the housing.This means in- 'cludes a flat-headed screw which passes through openingsin the housing front 12 and backing plate 18 and through the channelportion of the mounting member 29.

Threadably engaged on the screw 33 is a C-shaped clip 34 mounted withits ends 36 and 37 bearing against the rear of the central portion ofthe mounting member 29. The central portion of the clip '34 throughwhich the screw 33 is threaded, is wide enough to engage and displaceout- Wardly the inclined portions 31 and 32 of the mounting member 29.

This may be clearly seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, FIG- URE 3 showing thedevice in normal position and FIG- URE 2 showing the clip screwed down,the clip acting to force the wing portions outwardly and toward thehousing in the described manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a novel andinexpensive means for mounting an adjustable price tag upon a standardshelf edge retaining strip with the mounting means automatically lockingthe price tag in place and at the same time locking the tape in the tagto prevent unwanted changing of prices.

I claim:

'1. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an openingat its rear side, a mounting member secured in said housing and havingwing portions extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rearthereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement betweena first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufficientlyto engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a secondposition wherein the wing portions are retracted sufiiciently to clearsuch flanges, and means for selectively displacing said wings betweensaid first and second positions.

2 In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening atits rear side, a mounting member secured in said housing and having wingportions extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof,said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a firstposition wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufllciently toengage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a secondposition wherein the Wing portions are retracted sufliciently to clearsuch flanges, said wing portions being formed to provide an increment ofmotion toward said housing as they move from said second to said firstposition whereby the flanges of said mounting strip will be clampedbetween said housing and said wing portions when the latter are in saidfirst position, and means for selectively displacing said wing portionsbetween sad first and second positions.

3. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening atits rear side, a mounting member secured in said housing and having wingportions extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof,said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a firstposition wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufficiently toengage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a secondposition wherein the wing portions are retracted suificiently to clearsuch flanges, said wing portions being formed to provide an increment ofmotion toward said housing as they move from said second to said firstposition whereby the flanges on said mounting strip will be clampedbetween said housing and said wing portions when the latter are in saidfirst position, and means for selectively displacing said wing portionsbetween said first and second positions, said means including a manuallyrotatable element at the front of said housing formed for spreading saidwing portions from said second position to said first position uponrotation thereof.

4. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed portions divergingrearwardly therefrom and terminating in flat areas parallel to the frontof said housing and extending to opposite sides of the housing at therear thereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movementbetween a first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardlysufliciently to engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip anda second position wherein the wing portions are retracted suflicientlyto clear such flanges, and screw means operable from the front of saidhousing and having a portion movable between the divergent wing portionsfor selectively urging said flat areas apart and toward the housing.

5. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening atits rear side, a mounting member secured to the front of said housingand having wing portions diverging rearwardly therefrom and terminatingin flat areas parallel to the front of said housing and extending toopposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof, said wing portionsbeing formed for selective movement between a first position wherein thewing portions extend outwardly sufficiently to engage under confrontingfianges of a mounting strip and a second position wherein the wingportions are retracted sufficiently to clear such flanges, a screwhaving a threaded shank mounted through holes formed centrally in saidhousing and said mounting member, and a C-shaped member having endsbearing against the rear of said mounting member and a medial sectionthreadably engaged with said shank and positioned between the divergentwing portions, the width of said medial section being related to thedivergent wing portions so as to urge the latter outwardly upon movementof the medial section toward the front wall of the housing under theinfluence of said screw.

6. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening atits rear side, mounting means on said housing formed with outwardlyextending ears parallel to and spaced from the opposite sides of therear of said housing, said mounting means being formed for moving saidears toward said housing for clamping the confronting flanges of amounting strip between said ears and the housing.

7. An adjustable price tag, comprising a housing formed with a frontwall and side and end walls extending rearwardly therefrom, said frontwall having apertures formed therethrough on opposite sides of aretained central strip, mounting means secured to said central strip andextending rearwardly through the housing for engagement with a shelfmounting strip, a pair of flexible tapes each having a plurality ofinformation-indicating characters thereon, each of said tapes beingmounted within said housing with a portion visible through one of saidapertures, and a backing plate mounted in said housing behind said tapeswhereby the tapes may be moved to exhibit difierentinformation-indicating characters, said mounting means having wingportions extending rearwardly through the central portion of saidhousing and dividing said housing into separate chambers adapted tocontain the ends of said tapes, the distal ends of said wing portionsbeing formed with outwardly extending ears parallel to and spacedrearwardly from the rear edges of said side walls, said mounting meansbeing formed for selectively urging said ears toward said side walls forclamping the confronting edges of the mounting strip between the earsand the housing.

8. An adjustable price tag, comprising a housing formed with a frontwall and side and end walls extending rearwardly therefrom, said frontwall having apertures formed therethrough on opposite sides of aretained central strip, a pair of flexible tapes each having a pluralityof information-indicating characters thereon, each of said tapes beingmounted within said housing with a portion visible through one of saidapertures, said tapes being of resiliently stiff material formed with aninherent curl whereby the ends of said tapes will tend to curl up withinsaid housing, a backing plate mounted in said housing behind said tapeswhereby the tapes may be moved to exhibit differentinformation-indicating characters, a mounting member secured to thefront of said housing and having a central portion bearing against therear of said backing plate and wing portions diverging rearwardlytherefrom and terminating in flat areas parailel to the front of saidhousing and extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rearthereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement betweena first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly suflicientlyto engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a secondposition wherein the wing portions are retracted sufliciently to clearsuch flanges, a screw having a threaded shank mounted through holesformed centrally in said housing and said mounting member, and aC-shaped member having ends bearing against the rear of said mountingmember and a medial section threadably engaged with said shank andpositioned between the divergent wing portions, the width of said medialsection being related to the divergent wing portions so as to urge thelatter outwardly upon movement of the medial section toward the frontWall of the housing under the influence of said screw, said divergentwing portions cooperating with said housing to define chambers adaptedto receive and promote curling of the ends of said tapes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,150,314 Stephens Aug. 7, 1915 2,546,483 Venters Mar. 27, 19512,585,420 Ailes Feb. 12, 1952 2,830,394 Gordon Apr. 15, 1958 2,921,393Wood Jan. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 776,362 Great Britain June 5, 1957

